Luskin's
Luskin's was an electronics chain based in Baltimore, Maryland, that was founded in 1948 and ceased operation in October 1996.
Industry | Retail |
---|---|
Fate | Liquidation |
Founded | 1948 |
Founder | Jack and Joe Luskin |
Defunct | 1996 |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia |
Products | Consumer electronics, home appliances, car audio sales and installation, office equipment, parts and accessories |
Services | Repair and installation |
Beginnings
Luskin's began as an ice supply company founded by Jack Luskin and his brother Joe in 1948,[1] growing into a chain of electronics stores that later reached a total of 60[2] in Maryland; Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Luskin would later be known as "the cheapest guy in town",[3] a phrase that would be used for many years in Luskin's advertisements.
In 1985, Luskin's went public, though by 1996 the stock was selling from nine to twenty-one cents.[3]
Controversies
In 1981, the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division took Luskin's to court over deceptive advertising prices on three occasions. A settlement would be reached; though Luskin's was still in court for a separate incident at the time the closing was announced.[3]
Other controversies included a July 1992 promotion of certificates for free airfare and discounted hotel rates that the Attorney General's office claimed were deceptive. A later version that was slightly modified (removing the word free) was submitted for approval and began airing in September. When the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division protested; contending that in order to qualify, one would have to buy at least $200 worth of merchandise; followed by making hotel and other arrangements through a Florida-based firm named Vacation Ventures; on December 11, 1992, Harford County judge Cypert O. Whitfill wrote in an opinion that Luskin's planned advertisements were "neither deceptive nor unfair".[4]
Aftermath
At the time Luskin's closing was made public, Cary Luskin (the son of company founder Jack) also announced plans to launch a separate chain of electronics stores called The Big Screen Store.[3] Jack Luskin died on December 1, 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 89.[5] Daughter Jamie was a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2004-2012 before the team was sold following a divorce from ex-husband Frank McCourt.
Slogans
- Jack and Joe will save you dough (used until 1966; when the brothers ended their partnership)[1]
- The Cheapest Guy in Town[3]
References
- Rasmussen, Frederick N. (March 15, 2008). "Whatever happened to...Jack Luskin". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- Winters, Wendi (September 17, 2013). "Homecoming: A retailing family returns to Annapolis location". Capital Gazette. Archived from the original on November 20, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- Harrison, David (October 7, 1996). "Luskin starts new chain". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- Farabaugh, Mike (December 17, 1992). "Judge clears way for Luskin's ads". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- Lorraine Mirabella; Pamela Wood. "Jack Luskin, co-founder of Luskin's appliance and electronics chain, dies". Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 4 December 2017.